Burroughs v. Bruce Monroe

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:BMPV parent here. The onsite after-care program also served DC's previous DCPS, and was effectively fired by the principal there. They strike me as very hit-or-miss. We used them for one year and would not elect to use them again if other options are available. (BMPV's other option is ~3x the cost, so I feel your frustration).

Proximity is a good reason to switch if it will simplify your life/commute. I disagree about the community vibe, but in PK3 the "community" maybe hasn't coalesced yet. It may take a year or two. Look into how many IB families pick Burroughs - DCPS releases the data every year (sorry I don't have the link).

Requesting your PK3 teacher keep your child occupied for 90-minutes while the rest of the kids nap seems like an unreasonable ask to me. Some kids may start to drop their naps by the end of the year; many more will drop the nap in PK4, so this is a problem that will take care of itself with time/patience.

This. The aide will have to keep a sleepy kid awake, while also dealing with any other issues the other kids have (and probably a lot are not sleeping, since some are 5 years old), and not making noise or in any way interfering with the sleep of kids who are actually sleeping. That's a lot to ask of one person, isn't it?

Your child's sleep need will decrease and this won't be as big a problem next year, no matter what school you choose.

[Anonymous]

Thanks all. Not expecting the teacher to occupy him for 90 minutes. But I think its not much to expect for them to wake him up instead of letting him sleep through the full nap time. I know my kid, if you wake him up and hand him a book, its pretty unlikely he will fall back asleep. But I have had more engagement on this with you guys than the school

The nap is the example I give because it is the most disruptive to our life as a family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:BMPV parent here. The onsite after-care program also served DC's previous DCPS, and was effectively fired by the principal there. They strike me as very hit-or-miss. We used them for one year and would not elect to use them again if other options are available. (BMPV's other option is ~3x the cost, so I feel your frustration).

Proximity is a good reason to switch if it will simplify your life/commute. I disagree about the community vibe, but in PK3 the "community" maybe hasn't coalesced yet. It may take a year or two. Look into how many IB families pick Burroughs - DCPS releases the data every year (sorry I don't have the link).

Requesting your PK3 teacher keep your child occupied for 90-minutes while the rest of the kids nap seems like an unreasonable ask to me. Some kids may start to drop their naps by the end of the year; many more will drop the nap in PK4, so this is a problem that will take care of itself with time/patience.

Thanks for this tip!

[Anonymous]

OP, I think you should move because you’re not happy at BMPV. But I know you’re going to be equally unhappy at Burroughs. You won’t find better communication, community, or hand holding with things like nap time at ANY DCPS. Maybe there’s some charters that would make you feel better heard or have more of a preschool style pre-K (DCPS does not), but they’re still not going to wake up a sleeping preschooler and deal with a cranky kid for the rest of the afternoon.

I’d urge you to try to think about what you’d want in a school for your 7 or 9 year old, and don’t get distracted by pre-K problems. I know more than one parent that said they regret picking a school based on what would be the best pre-K without adequately considering the elementary experience.

And have you not considered Casa Lala for aftercare? They pick up at BMPV and a few other local schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think either one is better or worse. If Burroughs would inconvenience you, stay put. I've seen far too many people move their kid around without real improvement.

+1. We've been at BMPV for 5 years with multiple kids, and while no school is perfect, we've found BMPV to be good at the things that matter to us. If there's something specific that you think Burroughs would be significantly better on, and the comparative downsides of Burroughs are worth it (I don't know what those are, but all schools have strengths and weaknesses), then better to switch now while your child is still in pre-K. I guess it comes down to what you're not loving about BMPV. It may be something about the school itself, it may be something about your particular experience this year that may work itself out next year, or it may be something that is just a thing about DCPS/elementary school.

Two things to consider. I'm assuming your IB if you got a pre-K spot at BMPV? The older your child gets, the bigger the benefit to being in a neighborhood school will be. Walkability, less rushed mornings, more friends in the immediate neighborhood, etc. Spanish immersion aside, I'd err on the side of staying in my neighborhood school vs. going to a different neighborhood school unless I had a compelling reason to move. Secondly, I'd only switch if you could see staying in Burroughs long term. If you see yourself continuing to play the lottery for another upgrade, then consider the impact to your child of multiple school moves.

We got into BMPV through the lottery. Burroughs is closer to us. We found the ipad usage in pre-K (saw that on our tour) at our inbound to be a no-go for us, which is why we ended up at BMPV. It seemed like a great school, but we are not thrilled about some aspects. I don't want to disparage the school, I am sure it is an absolutely wonderful fit for many families. Our main issue is the aftercare option at the school building--our kid just hated it. We ended up pulling our kid from aftercare at a significant cost. We are also not thrilled with the communication from BMPV. We've tried to raise this with the school, the teacher, and just are always playing a game of wondering what is happening in school/the class. The teacher is great, very responsive over text, but certain issues I have raised never get addressed. For example, he shouldn't be napping, but I have no support from the teacher on making that happen. The difference in his bedtime between weekends (no naps) and weekdays (almost 1.5 hour nap) is the difference in my sanity. Also, I keep hearing about the great community at BMPV but we feel disconnected from the school community--probably because we are not in the neighborhood?

So, long boring story short, I think our kid would continue to be happy at BMPV, but us parents might just do better in a closer school.

What expectations do you have of “community” at Burroughs?
Many DCPS and charter ES schools overhype their sense of community.
Ive had 4 kids go through various DCPS and charter schools. My experience has ranged from cliques among parents at certain schools/grades to barely even knowing other parents other years. It depends on alot of factors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I think you should move because you’re not happy at BMPV. But I know you’re going to be equally unhappy at Burroughs. You won’t find better communication, community, or hand holding with things like nap time at ANY DCPS. Maybe there’s some charters that would make you feel better heard or have more of a preschool style pre-K (DCPS does not), but they’re still not going to wake up a sleeping preschooler and deal with a cranky kid for the rest of the afternoon.

I’d urge you to try to think about what you’d want in a school for your 7 or 9 year old, and don’t get distracted by pre-K problems. I know more than one parent that said they regret picking a school based on what would be the best pre-K without adequately considering the elementary experience.

And have you not considered Casa Lala for aftercare? They pick up at BMPV and a few other local schools.

Op should have in mind that a lot of kids leave BMPV before third grade. Leaving in prek is probably better for the kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I think you should move because you’re not happy at BMPV. But I know you’re going to be equally unhappy at Burroughs. You won’t find better communication, community, or hand holding with things like nap time at ANY DCPS. Maybe there’s some charters that would make you feel better heard or have more of a preschool style pre-K (DCPS does not), but they’re still not going to wake up a sleeping preschooler and deal with a cranky kid for the rest of the afternoon.

I’d urge you to try to think about what you’d want in a school for your 7 or 9 year old, and don’t get distracted by pre-K problems. I know more than one parent that said they regret picking a school based on what would be the best pre-K without adequately considering the elementary experience.

And have you not considered Casa Lala for aftercare? They pick up at BMPV and a few other local schools.

Op should have in mind that a lot of kids leave BMPV before third grade. Leaving in prek is probably better for the kid.

The same is true of Burroughs though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I think you should move because you’re not happy at BMPV. But I know you’re going to be equally unhappy at Burroughs. You won’t find better communication, community, or hand holding with things like nap time at ANY DCPS. Maybe there’s some charters that would make you feel better heard or have more of a preschool style pre-K (DCPS does not), but they’re still not going to wake up a sleeping preschooler and deal with a cranky kid for the rest of the afternoon.

I’d urge you to try to think about what you’d want in a school for your 7 or 9 year old, and don’t get distracted by pre-K problems. I know more than one parent that said they regret picking a school based on what would be the best pre-K without adequately considering the elementary experience.

And have you not considered Casa Lala for aftercare? They pick up at BMPV and a few other local schools.

Op should have in mind that a lot of kids leave BMPV before third grade. Leaving in prek is probably better for the kid.

My BMPV third grader has had two friends leave since K. Lots of kids leave after pre-K, many more in fifth to schools with middle school feeders. But for the most part, it’s been the same crew for years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BMPV parent here. The onsite after-care program also served DC's previous DCPS, and was effectively fired by the principal there. They strike me as very hit-or-miss. We used them for one year and would not elect to use them again if other options are available. (BMPV's other option is ~3x the cost, so I feel your frustration).

Proximity is a good reason to switch if it will simplify your life/commute. I disagree about the community vibe, but in PK3 the "community" maybe hasn't coalesced yet. It may take a year or two. Look into how many IB families pick Burroughs - DCPS releases the data every year (sorry I don't have the link).

Requesting your PK3 teacher keep your child occupied for 90-minutes while the rest of the kids nap seems like an unreasonable ask to me. Some kids may start to drop their naps by the end of the year; many more will drop the nap in PK4, so this is a problem that will take care of itself with time/patience.

Thanks for this tip!

Both schools have very low IB participation rate. 19% Burroughs vs 26%BMVP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BMPV parent here. The onsite after-care program also served DC's previous DCPS, and was effectively fired by the principal there. They strike me as very hit-or-miss. We used them for one year and would not elect to use them again if other options are available. (BMPV's other option is ~3x the cost, so I feel your frustration).

Proximity is a good reason to switch if it will simplify your life/commute. I disagree about the community vibe, but in PK3 the "community" maybe hasn't coalesced yet. It may take a year or two. Look into how many IB families pick Burroughs - DCPS releases the data every year (sorry I don't have the link).

Requesting your PK3 teacher keep your child occupied for 90-minutes while the rest of the kids nap seems like an unreasonable ask to me. Some kids may start to drop their naps by the end of the year; many more will drop the nap in PK4, so this is a problem that will take care of itself with time/patience.

Thanks for this tip!

Both schools have very low IB participation rate. 19% Burroughs vs 26%BMVP.

Yes, but BMPV's rate is higher and also reflective of all the IB families that don't choose dual language.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BMPV parent here. The onsite after-care program also served DC's previous DCPS, and was effectively fired by the principal there. They strike me as very hit-or-miss. We used them for one year and would not elect to use them again if other options are available. (BMPV's other option is ~3x the cost, so I feel your frustration).

Proximity is a good reason to switch if it will simplify your life/commute. I disagree about the community vibe, but in PK3 the "community" maybe hasn't coalesced yet. It may take a year or two. Look into how many IB families pick Burroughs - DCPS releases the data every year (sorry I don't have the link).

Requesting your PK3 teacher keep your child occupied for 90-minutes while the rest of the kids nap seems like an unreasonable ask to me. Some kids may start to drop their naps by the end of the year; many more will drop the nap in PK4, so this is a problem that will take care of itself with time/patience.

Thanks for this tip!

Both schools have very low IB participation rate. 19% Burroughs vs 26%BMVP.

Yes, but BMPV's rate is higher and also reflective of all the IB families that don't choose dual language.

26% is very, very low.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BMPV parent here. The onsite after-care program also served DC's previous DCPS, and was effectively fired by the principal there. They strike me as very hit-or-miss. We used them for one year and would not elect to use them again if other options are available. (BMPV's other option is ~3x the cost, so I feel your frustration).

Proximity is a good reason to switch if it will simplify your life/commute. I disagree about the community vibe, but in PK3 the "community" maybe hasn't coalesced yet. It may take a year or two. Look into how many IB families pick Burroughs - DCPS releases the data every year (sorry I don't have the link).

Requesting your PK3 teacher keep your child occupied for 90-minutes while the rest of the kids nap seems like an unreasonable ask to me. Some kids may start to drop their naps by the end of the year; many more will drop the nap in PK4, so this is a problem that will take care of itself with time/patience.

Thanks for this tip!

Both schools have very low IB participation rate. 19% Burroughs vs 26%BMVP.

Keep in mind that there are a TON of charters in the Brookland area, which may a big reason a lot of inbound Burroughs families send their kids elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BMPV parent here. The onsite after-care program also served DC's previous DCPS, and was effectively fired by the principal there. They strike me as very hit-or-miss. We used them for one year and would not elect to use them again if other options are available. (BMPV's other option is ~3x the cost, so I feel your frustration).

Proximity is a good reason to switch if it will simplify your life/commute. I disagree about the community vibe, but in PK3 the "community" maybe hasn't coalesced yet. It may take a year or two. Look into how many IB families pick Burroughs - DCPS releases the data every year (sorry I don't have the link).

Requesting your PK3 teacher keep your child occupied for 90-minutes while the rest of the kids nap seems like an unreasonable ask to me. Some kids may start to drop their naps by the end of the year; many more will drop the nap in PK4, so this is a problem that will take care of itself with time/patience.

Thanks for this tip!

Both schools have very low IB participation rate. 19% Burroughs vs 26%BMVP.

Keep in mind that there are a TON of charters in the Brookland area, which may a big reason a lot of inbound Burroughs families send their kids elsewhere.

+1. And Bruce Monroe is bilingual, so has a separate lottery for Spanish dominant kids through first.

[Anonymous]

If you're trying to get a sense of the Burroughs community, bring your kids by the playground around 5 or 6 on a nice weekday evening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BMPV parent here. The onsite after-care program also served DC's previous DCPS, and was effectively fired by the principal there. They strike me as very hit-or-miss. We used them for one year and would not elect to use them again if other options are available. (BMPV's other option is ~3x the cost, so I feel your frustration).

Proximity is a good reason to switch if it will simplify your life/commute. I disagree about the community vibe, but in PK3 the "community" maybe hasn't coalesced yet. It may take a year or two. Look into how many IB families pick Burroughs - DCPS releases the data every year (sorry I don't have the link).

Requesting your PK3 teacher keep your child occupied for 90-minutes while the rest of the kids nap seems like an unreasonable ask to me. Some kids may start to drop their naps by the end of the year; many more will drop the nap in PK4, so this is a problem that will take care of itself with time/patience.

Thanks for this tip!

Both schools have very low IB participation rate. 19% Burroughs vs 26%BMVP.

Keep in mind that there are a TON of charters in the Brookland area, which may a big reason a lot of inbound Burroughs families send their kids elsewhere.

Burroughs parent here. My impression from neighbors that send their kids elsewhere is that it’s more about prioritizing a neighborhood or close by language immersion option (Stokes, Yu Ying, DCB, MV) than a referendum on Burroughs. FWIW, the principal at Burroughs is DC Principal of the Year.